Broken Finger Signs and Symptoms

Broken fingers frequently cause immediate pain after trauma and sometimes a deformed finger either at a joint (commonly a dislocation) or through the bone as a fracture. If there is no deformity, a sharp pain is felt very specifically at the injury site.

A true fracture usually will be painful, but do not be fooled by a finger that has some range of motion as the finger may be able to bend. Depending on their stability, some fractures may hurt more than others.

As time goes on, usually within the next 5-10 minutes, swelling and bruising of the finger will occur and the finger will become stiff to move. Swelling is not as specific as pain, and may affect the adjacent fingers as well.

If the fracture is severe, bruising from released blood may be seen immediately.

Finally, if the swelling is excessive, numbness of the finger may occur because the nerves in the fingers are compressed.